Fuse-lighter.



H. W. FULLER.

FUSE LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED 11017.17, 1910.

Patented July 11, 1911.

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES.

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FUSE-LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1911.

Application filed November 17, 1910. Serial No. 592,853.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. FULLER, a Citizen of the United States, and a resident of Globe, in the county of Gila and Territory of Arizona, have made certain new and useful Improvements 'in Fuse-Lighters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fuse lighters and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a device in which a fuse or a number of fuses may be ignited under water. The device is intended to be used especially with those fuses that are designed to explode charges in mining operations. In many mines the encavated portions fill up with water, so that it is often hard to explode the charges, since the ends of the fuses become wet and therefore do not ignite, even though the outside of the fuse is protected with a waterproof covering.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fuse igniter, which may be carried in the pocket of the miner, and which may be readily attached to the end of the fuse, and which when attached will keep the latter from becoining wet, and will retain it in a condition to be ignited at any time.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple device in which a plurality of fuses may be fired simultaneously.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device in which the ends of the fuses are protected in an ignition chamber with means for permitting the expansion of the explosivecharge within the chamber, without permitting the inflow of water.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the a pended claims.

. My invention is il ustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the device, Fig. 2 is an end view, a portion being shown in section, Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of 1, and Fi 4: is a detail view showing a portion or the ignition chamber.

In carrying out my invention, 1 provide a handle 1. This handle, as will be seen from Fig. 3, consists of a cylinder, closed at one end and provided with threads on its interior at the other end, as shown i There is an opening 1 to permit the passage of a plunger stem 2 at the end of which is a plunger 3. The stem 2 extends through the plunger 3, and terminates in a pointed portion 2 A spiral spring 4 surrounds the stem 2, bearing at one end on the plunger 3 and at the other on the end of the cylinder. The stem 2 terminates at one end in a milled thumb piece 5, and the end of the cylinder may have attached to it a resilient covering 6 to receive the impact of the head 5.. -With reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that I have also provided a casing or receptacle 7, which has a threaded cylindrical portion 7 adapted to enter within the open end of the cylinder and to be screwed in place. The receptacle 7 is provided with a bore 7*, one end of which is'designed to receive a blank cartridge 8, the other being fiared outwardly as it ap proaches the ignition chamber 9. At 10, I have shown a valve, which is normally closed, but which may open outwardly under pressure from the inside, and will immediately close again when the pressure is released. The receptacle 7 is provided with a cover 7 which is hinged at 11. Between the cover 7 and the main body portion, I may provide a resilient gasket 12. A series of fuse openings 13 is provided, these openings consisting of grooves partly in the main body portion and partly in the cover.

In order to securely lock the device, so as to prevent the entrance of water I provide a pivoted bail l t which is secured tothe main body portion, which may be swung up over-the end of the cover 7. provided with a screw 15, which bears on the cover and which may be screwed down, so as to hold the latter in position. The handle and the receptacle 7 may be made of any suitable materials, but the receptacle should preferably be of waterproof material, such as hard rubber, or other material which will absolutely prevent the entrance of water.

From theforegoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood.

As stated, the device is designed for igniting one or more fuses simultaneously. In Fig. i, I have shown the end of a fuse 16, which projects through one of the passages or openings 18. The fuses are placed in these openings, while the cover Y is raised. A suitable ignition charge is placed within the chamber 9 and a cartridge 8 is inserted in the end of the opening 7. The handle 1 The bail is i is then screwed in place until the end 2*, which constitutes a firing pin, engages the end 'of the cartridge. The bail .14 is now brought over the cover, and by means of the screw, the coveris forced down tightly upon the receptacle. The device is now in operative condition, and since no water can get to the end of the fuse (the outside of the fuse having a waterproof coat) the device may be left without any danger of the fuse failing to ignite by being water-soaked. \Vhen all is in readiness, the operator grasps the thumb piece 5 and pulls the plunger?) backwardly, it being understood that there is sufficient clearance left by the opening 1 to permit the air to leave and enter the interior of the handle, so as to permit the plunger to work readily. As soon as the handle is released, the spring drives the firing pin forwardly, the cartridge is exploded, the ignition charge in the chamber 9 is ignited, which in turn ignites the fuse. The expansion within the ignition chamber is relieved by means of the valve 10, but as soon as the pressures within and without the chambers balance, the valve immediately closes, thereby prevent-ing any entrance of water.

It is obvious thatother types based upon the same general principle might be made, but I consider as 'my own all such modifications as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim v 1. In a fuse igniter, a receptacle having an ignition chamber, said receptacle being provided with a bore communicating with the ignition chamber and adapted to receive a cartridge and having openings for the ends of the fuse, a hollow handle for said receptacle arranged to be secured thereto, a springactuated firing pin disposed within said hollow handle, a head for manipulating said firing pin, said head being disposed on the outside of the hollow handle, and means for relieving the pressure of the exploded charge in the ignition chamber, said means also serving for preventing the entrance of water into the ignition chamber.

2. In a fuse igniter, a receptacle having a threaded portion at one end and being provided with a bore extending through said threaded portion and communicating with the interior of the receptacle, said bore being arranged to receive a cartridge, a hinged cover for said receptacle, said receptacle and cover having registering grooves constituting openings for the ends of the fuse when the cover is in its closed position, means for clamping the cover to the receptacle, a hollow cylindrical handle provided at one end with threads arranged to receive the threaded portion of the receptacle and being closed at the other end, a plunger and stem therefor disposed within said cylindricalhandle, the stem of said plunger serving as a firing pin and adapted to engage the cartridge, an integral head secured to' said stem on the outside of the handle for manipulating the firing pin, and a spring disposed within said cylinder and arranged to bear at one end on the-plunger and at the other end on the end of the cylinder.

3. In a fuse igniter, a receptacle havinga threaded portion at one end and being provided with a bore extending through said threaded portion and communicating with the interior of the receptacle, said bore being arranged to receive a cartridge, a hinged cover for said receptacle, said receptacle and cover having registering grooves constituting openings for the ends of the fuse when the cover'is in its closed position, a bail pivoted to the receptacle and arranged to extend from the cover, a screw carried by the bail and arranged to engage the cover for clamping the latter to the receptacle, a valve in the wall of the receptacle for relieving the pressure .of the ignition charge, a hollow cylindrical handle provided at one end with threads arranged to receive the threaded portion of the receptacle and being closed at the other end, a plunger and stem therefor disposed within said cylindrical handle, the stem of said plunger serving as a firing pin and adapted to engage the cartridge, an integral head secured to said stem on the outside of the handle for manipulating the'fir-' ing pin, and a spring disposed within said cylinder and arranged to bear at one end on the plunger and at theother end on the end of the cylinder.

HENRY W. FULLER.

Witnesses:

THOMAS E. FLANNIGAN, MAURICE B.'MONA HAN. 

